Uncover a new wine experience among the vines in Orange, a 3.5-hour drive west of Sydney. With rich volcanic soils and vineyards planted at an elevation above 600 metres, the region produces excellent cool-climate wines, from buttery chardonnay to silky pinot noir. Feel enlivened by the crisp country air as you traipse between its atmospheric cellar doors – including these nine unmissable venues. 

Enjoy a refreshingly cool change 

Step inside a beautifully restored 1870s bluestone barn at Philip Shaw, a 10-minute drive from Orange, to sample fine wines with whimsical names and quirky labels that make the tasting experience even more enjoyable. Pair your wine flight with a tasting plate featuring local cheese, hand-made lavosh and accompaniments. Or simply savour the high-altitude terroir in every drop of wine carefully selected by your host at the cellar door, perched 900m above sea level, before coming away with a bottle of the prized No06 Chardonnay. Remember to book ahead for your tasting experience at the intimate venue, and keep an eye on the winery’s Instagram for announcements on seasonal dinners and special events. 

Follow your natural instincts 

Taste the passion of the Ross Hill Wines team for the planet in every vintage – it was the first winery in Australia to be certified by the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS), a process that took six years and means its wines are produced using sustainable principles. Anticipate the exceptional quality of its wines as you relax on the alfresco terrace alongside the hand-tended vines, breathing in the sweet perfume of cherry blossoms that bloom during the springtime. 

Join the daily behind-the-scenes tour before adding a bottle or two of the winery’s excellent Eastern View Chardonnay to your collection. Book a Pairing tasting plate of seven food matches to selected Ross Hill wines. Or take a deeper dive by signing on for a food and wine course at Barrel & Larder, an impressive custom-designed school attached to the cellar door. Soak up the atmosphere for longer by staying at Loco at Ross Hill, a converted train carriage that housed the winery’s original cellar door.

Strike the perfect balance

Revel in the expansive views over the vineyards towards the mountains as the late morning sun warms your bones at De Salis Wines, a small family-operated winery located on the northern slope of Mount Canobolas, 11km from Orange. Take a seat around a wine barrel and enjoy a memorable tasting of its premium handcrafted wines made with modern techniques and minimal intervention (there’s a tasting fee of $20 per person). Seize the opportunity to learn more about the winery’s minimalist philosophy from the passionate and knowledgeable cellar door team – with no culinary offering here, it’s all about the wine – before snaffling one of De Salis’s signature fumé blancs. 

Go with the flow 

Relish the myriad ways to experience wine at Rowlee Wines, a 10-minute drive from Orange, where the Varietal Wine Tasting is just the beginning. Spend more time discovering the nuances of Rowlee Wines with a Sensory Wine Tasting, a 60-minute guided journey through the vineyard’s renowned Single Vineyard wines that ignites all the senses. 

Linger over a long lunch or an indulgent dinner at Rowlee Dining & Bar, or make a weekend of it with your partner on the Ultimate Wine Escape, which includes two nights’ accommodation in a private guesthouse, a Sensory Wine Tasting, a picnic hamper lunch and a half-dozen Single Vineyard wines. Crack one of your included bottles of wine to enjoy as the sun sets over the vines, or take them home and be transported back to your romantic weekend every time you open a bottle. 

Explore new terrain

Discover how young wineries can punch above their weight at Printhie Wines, which has won numerous accolades since launching in 2004. Try its lauded Swift sparkling range for yourself at the winery’s chic, charcoal-toned cellar door, where you can take an immersive journey into the world of bubbles on the Sparkling Masterclass, and uncover the art of méthode traditionelle sparkling before settling in for a four-course degustation with matching wines at Printhie Dining. 

Surprise a loved one with an exhilarating helicopter flight to the winery, which includes a private winery tour and tasting, and a decadent contemporary lunch overlooking the peaceful valley before being chauffeured back to your accommodation. 

Reach new heights

Feel like you’re on top of the world (or at least on top of Mount Canobolas) when you sample Borrodell Estate’s divine wines at its SkyBar cellar door/wine bar. Take your time grazing on a cheese or charcuterie platter paired with an estate wine on the SkyBar terrace before splashing out on a souvenir bottle from Borrodell’s Museum series, such as the 2014 Museum Pinot Noir. 

Indulge in a long lunch at Borrodell’s acclaimed Sisters Rock Restaurant, which looks out over a block of pinot noir grapes and the slopes of the Towac Valley, or make a romantic weekend of it in the winery’s Cider Suite, which features a deep spa bath and huge windows looking out over the vines. 

Get a feel for winery life

Seek out the architect-designed, artisan-built cellar door at the family-run Strawhouse Wines to sample the estate’s dry-grown semillon, sauvignon blanc and shiraz, as well as small batches of grenache and viognier grown on-site. (Be sure to book your cellar door visit in advance.) 

Immerse in the rhythms of this small-scale winery by staying in the one-bedroom Strawhouse Vineyard Apartment right next to the cellar door, yet a discreet distance from the straw-bale family home that gives the winery its name. Settle in for a cosy stay and book an exclusive private wine tasting at the cellar door – perhaps pick up a bottle of the unfiltered Edith Rouge shiraz/grenache blend to pair with your pre-ordered picnic hamper of fresh local produce for an idyllic lunch.

Sip some singular wines

Deepen your appreciation of cool-climate winemaking as sommeliers guide you through a curated flight of six wines during an hour-long tasting session at Swinging Bridge Wines. Delve deeper into this innovative, family-owned winery by booking the Explore Swinging Bridge experience, where you’ll enjoy a guided tour of the estate’s Hill Park vineyard and a curated single-vineyard tasting flight. (You may well be inspired to snaffle a bottle of the flagship Hill Park ‘Block 7’ Chardonnay from the Single Vineyard range.)

Lose track of time during the Indulge at Swinging Bridge experience as you’re guided through a comprehensive wine tasting paired with a five-course degustation lunch, after a walking tour of the Hill Park vineyard. For the ultimate day out, Swinging Bridge owner and vigneron Tom Ward will take you on a private tour of the Orange wine region, exploring the vineyards contributing to the Single Vineyard range, before returning to enjoy a seven-course degustation lunch during the incredible Immerse with Swinging Bridge offering.

Combine a tasting with a petting zoo

Watch your kids’ eyes light up when you bring them along to Heifer Station Wines, one of the more family-friendly cellar doors in Orange. Graze on a cheese plate matching the estate wines you’re tasting – pinot noir is the star here – as your little ones devour a kids’ platter of fruit, a warm toasty and treats like marshmallows and popcorn. Then take them next door to the winery’s Funny Farm petting zoo to meet Tilly the mini Shetland pony, alpacas, chickens, goats and shaggy Highland cattle. Make a weekend of it by staying in the luxe two-bedroom Loft House, which features indoor and outdoor fireplaces and looks out over the Heifer Station vines from its hillside perch.